Safety attachment for linemen&#39;s climbers.



PATENTED MAY 19, 1908.

J. D. O'GONNELL.

SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOR LINEMENS GLIMBERS'. APPLICATION FILED we. 17. 1907.

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SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOR LINEMENS CLIMBERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 19, 1908.

Application filed August 17, 1907. Serial No. 389,047.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN DANIEL OCON- NELL, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of Utica, in the county of Oneida and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Safety Attachment for Linemens Climbers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact descrip tion.

My invention relates to safety attachments or fixtures for line-mens climbers or climbing spurs.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a safety device for a climber, that can be applied to any form thereof, and to provide a device of the character described that will eliminate most of the disadvantages of the safety belt and like appliances.

'A further urpose of the invention is to provide a sa ety attachment for line-mens climbers, that will be exceedingly simple and which constitutes a portion of the stirrup extension, thus being always at hand and ready for use.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a climber and the improvement applied thereto, and Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the attachment separated from the climber.

In many cases where a line-man is doing construction work or stringing wires the safety belt is left in the wagon, and should it be required he must descend again and again ascend, whereas loss of time is avoided when the climbers are fitted with my improved device, since the line-man cannot climb a pole without having the device with him. Then, again, the improved device is always ready for use, whereas a safety belt must be fastened around the pole and its ends buckled to rings in the line-mans belt before he can work. Should he be required to move further up the pole the belt must be unbuckled to admit of ascent and is then passed around the pole and buckled as before, whereas, when the improved safety device is used, the line-man can change his position as often as necessary without trouble and loss of time.

A represents the climber-bar of a linemans climber, B represents the usual spur and D represents the extension from the bar A or the stirrup for the foot of the user.

The improved attachment is shown in detail in Fig. 2 and consists of a metal open loop or segmental strap D adapted for attachment to said extension or stirrup D and the climber bar A and a gaff O adapted for attachment to said open loop or strap.

The gaff is usually rovided with a flat upper face 10 and said gaff E extends rearwardly from the loop D and is given by preference a slight upward incline. The gaff E may be secured to the strap D in any suitable manner, as, for example, it may be provided with a bifurcated shank 11 that straddles the strap D, the shank being secured to the loop D by a bolt 12 or the equivalent thereof.

The climber illustrated is a right-foot climber and the gaff E is slightly to the right of the center of the strap D. On a left-foot climber the gaff would be proportionately to the left of the center, but I do not limit myself to the said positions of the gaff since it could be secured to the exact center of the strap D with good results. The best results are however obtained by securing the gaffs to the straps at any point from the center of the straps to an inch and a half off the center.

In the drawings, which re resent a I-Iargrave climber, the strap D is s lOWIl engaging the climber bar A and the extension or stirrup D at right angles, and the gaff E as extending outward and upward from the strap, but the same results could be obtained by having the strap point outward and slightly upward from the climber bar A and its extension or stirrup D and lacing the E parallel with the strap. I? therefore, do not imit myself to the construction shown. The point of the gaff must however point outward and slightly upward from the perpendicular of the climber bar A.

In application, when a lineman desires to hold himself without the aid of a safety belt, he relies solely upon the strength of one leg thrust around the pole. At such a time the gaff enters the pole and holds the leg in its climbing position, effectually preventing it from slipping back.

The attachment does not interfere with walking or climbing, it is compact and inexpensive, and the point of the gaff will not strike the ground or become dulled when walking.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. An attachment to a linemans pole climber consisting of a segmental metal strap having its ends fitted for rigid contact with the climber bar and stirrup of the pole climber, and a gafi carried by said strap.

2. All attachment to a linemans pole climber consisting of an arched metal strap, and a rearwardly and upwardly extending gaff secured to the strap at a point between its ends.

3. The combination with the climber bar and stirrup of a lineman s climber, of a strap extending from the free end of the stirrup to the climber bar, and a gafli' secured to said strap.

4:. The combination with the climber bar and stirrup of a linemans climber, of a metal strap secured at one end to the free end portion of the stirrup and at its other end to the climber bar, and a rearwardly eX- tending gaff secured to the strap at a point between its ends.

5. The combination with a climber bar and its spur and the stirrup, of a segmental metal strap secured at one end of the free end portion of the stirrup and at its other end to the climber bar between said bar and its spur, and a gaff carried by the strap, having an upward and rearward inclination.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN DANIEL OCONNELL.

\ Witnesses:

THOMAS L. WARD, L. O. LANZ. 

